Alive
by lady patronus
Summary: FINISHED!Sirius returns...
1. A Paw Print

Harry was awaken by a soft thump of an owl landing on his bed.

His eyes crept open to look at the owl and groaned, he turned over and away from the owl, pulling the covers over his head. The owl gave a hoot, and pecked Harry. Harry tried to shoo the owl away, but it's pecks were becoming more furious with each swipe he took to make it go away. 

"Alright! Alright! I'm going!" he mumbled. Finally he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. 

He put on his glasses and found it was 11:59. 

He watched the red numbers turn 12:00 and silently wished himself Happy Birthday. He finally turned to the owl, and opened the letter attached to it's foot. He give it a small pat then sent it on it's way. Then he carefully opened the letter. It was covered in a sticky substance and had been haphazardly folded.

When he finally managed to open, he nearly yelled for joy which probably would have earned him a week of being locked up in his room and living off of canned soup. (not that he would have minded so much, he would be away from the Dursley's, and at night, he could always sneak food.) The parchment had only one mark on it, but it's meaning was unmistakable.

In the middle of the parchment was a single black paw print.

__

Siruis was alive.


	2. Number 12, Grimmauld Place

  
It was almost 1am.   
Harry was shivering from cold. As soon as he saw the letter he had slapped on a pair of jeans and shrugged on a coat, and was off in the air on his broom, never mind anyone seeing him.   
  
_Sirius was alive._  
  
Harry needed to see him. He was numb as he touched down in front of the grungy old house. He banged desperately on the door, and as soon as it opened he barged in. Nymphadora Tonks, yelled after him, but he didn't hear her as he sped into the kitchen to find a big black dog curled up on the rug.  
  
***  
  
As soon as Harry barged in, the dog ran up to him and licked his face, Harry laughed out loud and hugged the dog, never wanting to let go.  
  
"Siruis! How did you manage to escape?" Harry said, scratching the dog behind the ears.  
  
The dog barked and barked. He probably had woken up the entire house. In fact, Harry could even hear Siruis' mother starting to yell curses at everyone and everything.  
  
Harry laughed, he petted the dog.  
But something was wrong.  
  
Why wouldn't Siruis change back?  
  
"Siruis? Come on! It's me, Harry. Change back!" Harry said, encouraging the dog. But in reply, it only hung it's head, tail between it's lets, the dog looked lost.  
  
Harry whirled around to find Dumbledore in his night cap.  
"Professor Dumbledore! Why won't Siruis change back?" he looked desperate.  
  
Dumbledore wore a sad look on his face.  
  
"Harry, why don't we discuss this in the morning, after some sleep. For now, just be happy that Sirius is still alive,"  
  
And that's all anyone would say. He asked everyone, but none would reply, only tell him to get a good nights rest, and be happy he was alive, everything would be explained tomorrow.  
  
That night Siruis slept beside Harry's bed, and all night, Harry turned to stare at the dog sleeping peacefully on the floor. The question plagued him, he knew that something was terribly wrong if they put the question aside, and none of the members of the order could look at him directly in the face. That night, Harry was up till the wee hours of the morning before finally falling into an uneasy sleep.


	3. The Secret of the Black Curtain

After Harry's night of tossing and turning, he dressed and marched down stairs. Harry sat down in front of the fire. There was a gloom in the air, it hung awkwardly, everybody seemed to be avoiding Harry. They all shied away when he asked about Sirius. After a painfully silent breakfast, Harry went up to Dumbledore.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore? Why won't Sirius change back?"  
  
He sighed, "Sit down Harry,"  
and so he did. He looked intently at the old man. He seemed to grow older before his very eyes. Dumbledore made a show of taking off his half moon spectacles and rubbing his weary, watery, blue eyes. He put them back on and faced Harry.   
  
Harry had never seen Professor Dumbledore like this. He was trying desperately to avoid answering the question. He took a long time shuffling in his seat to find the perfect position. And finally, when he could ignore Harry's intense stare, he faced him.  
  
"Harry..." there was a long pause as Dumbledore tried to find his words.  
  
"Yes, professor?"  
  
"I know you were excited to see Sirius, and I know Sirius is just as happy to see you...Harry..." there was a long pause, " ehm..." Dumbledore looked away from Harry.  
  
"Please Professor! Just tell me why he can't change back!"  
  
Dumbledore sighed again, Harry shifted impatiently.   
Harry stared intently at the dog Sirius.   
  
"Harry," he started in a tired voice, " What you must understand first of all, is that we had never, beyond our wildest dreams, expected Sirius to come out from behind the black curtain. A feat, never before accomplished, and yet, Sirius here has proved there is a way to escape it. Harry, that black curtain, was used as a form of… execution, you might say. It's very high magic.  
What goes in, must never come out." Harry shivered at these words and a feeling of foreboding came upon him. He shook it off as Dumbledore continued, "The reason Sirius was able to escape as a dog, we think, was because he went in as a human."  
  
Harry stayed silent for a long time, digesting and taking every word in.  
  
"Will he ever be able to change back, now that he's out?"  
  
"I'm afraid, I don't have the answer to that Harry. What I think, is that if Sirius wanted to become a human again, he would have to go back behind the curtain. But that leads to a dead end, because he could never come out as a human."  
  
"But if he goes behind the curtain again, how can we be sure he'll even come out alive?"   
  
"We don't know, Harry, we don't know."


	4. Running

The next morning Harry did not come down to breakfast.   
  
But by lunch time they were getting worried and Remus Lupin ventured upstairs to wake him up.  
  
Remus knocked softly, afraid that Harry was still asleep and not wanting to wake him.  
"Harry?"  
He knocked again.  
No response.  
He slowly opened the door.  
  
He saw a lump in the bed and decided not to wake up Harry, and closed the door again.  
  
***  
  
At dinner, Remus went up again to see if Harry was awake, and again he saw Harry sleeping. He really didn't want to wake him up, but he didn't want him to go hungry either. So he brought up a sandwich and set it on the table on the room in case he woke up and was hungry. And again, he left.  
  
***  
Harry had been asleep for a day and a half now. And Remus went up again to check on him, Sirius was also getting worried and padded into the room ahead of Remus. The dog jumped onto the bed and nudged the lump. He barked. And wrestled with the covers.  
  
"Sirius! What are you doing?!" Remus jumped up and pulled the dog Sirius away. But Sirius had pulled back the covers to find nobody there, but a pillow in it's place.  
  
Sirius started barking like mad, and Remus raced down the stairs and barged into the kitchen.  
  
"He's gone! Harry's run away!"  
  
  
***  
  
  
Harry had sneaked out the 2 nights before and was living off the 10 pounds (i don't know English money! so I'm making up something random here! okay) that just happened to be in his pocket the day he left the Dursley's. But 10 pounds can only last you so many days, and by now, Harry was almost out of cash. Since he didn't have a bank account or any form of muggle money, he decided to make his way to Diagon Ally.   
  
He went to Gringotts and pulled out some money. And the next thing he did was to plan out what he was going to do over an ice cream. He sat down at one of the tables eating it and planning what he was going to do. He had been gone from Grimmauld Place for 2 days now. There was only a week left before school started, and he didn't have any of his things with him.   
  
He decided that he couldn't let any of the members of the order know where he was. That would just blow his plan. He hesitated to tell Ron and Hermione, Ron's parents would be suspicious and Hermione would demand that they tell someone where they were.   
  
He couldn't risk letting the Order know where he was.  
  
He couldn't tell Ron or Hermione.  
  
He couldn't be found.  
  
  
_At least, not yet..._


	5. With One Sudden Movement

Harry was in a familiar place.  
  
The doors around him swirled making him dizzy before finally coming to a stop, confusing him. He opened a random door, but quickly closed it; wrong door. He whispered "Flagrate," and a bright X appeared on the door. He silently praised Hermione and all her knowledge. It took him three more tries before he opened the right door; one of the doors being the room with the brains, one being the hallway lined with prophecies, and the last being a black room with planets hanging in mid-air, circling a large yellow sun. He found the right one and memories came flooding back; this battle field stained with hatred and curses. Harry felt a lump rise up in his throat as he looked at the last spot he had seen the human Sirius before he was blasted back and into the veil. He stepped down the tiered seats, each step closer bringing new curiosity with him and came to a stop in front of the cursed black curtain.  
  
Harry wasn't sure why he was here, or what he was going to do. He walked around the curtain examining the worn arch and the ragged black curtain that blocked his view. Cautiously he poked it with the tip of his wand, holding his breath.   
  
Something funny happened, Harry felt a breeze, like wind was passing through it. He poked it again with more courage. The breeze grew stronger. Harry had the sudden urge to let himself be taken by the breeze and into the black curtain. The breeze was gentle, coaxing, inviting.  
  
He took a step onto the raised stone platform the veil stood on. Whispering filled his head. Whispers of hideous things from unknown people. Dark wishes and anger filled him. Why couldn't he figure it out? What was behind the veil haunted him, driving him insane. He took a closer step to the veil, the wind pushing him on, his thoughts growing darker with each step he took.The gap closed between the boy and the worn stone arch. One step and the mystery of the human Sirius' death would be reveled. One sudden movement that only needed a small,swift, burst of energy to make it happen. His legs itched to take a step forward.   
  
Should he do it?   
  
Yes, if he wanted to find out the cause of the reason that was the black veil.  
  
He thought, was he contemplating suicide? Was he making the biggest discovery of human kind, to find out what happened after death?  
  
He stood there for ages, weighing his chances, thinking hard about this one movement that could mean black oblivion or the white welcome of enlightenment.  
  
Would he ever see the human Sirius again? His train of thought faltered. What if this wasn't a good thing? What if it lead to his death, never to see Sirius again? What about the prophecy, about the Dark Lord? Would the world fall the ruin because of one boy's mistake?   
  
Harry took a step back. The wind was getting stronger now, urging him to move forward. He took another step and another, until Harry felt like he was in the middle of a hurricane. He took his last step off of the platform and felt the pressure release. He fell to the ground, it was as if he was leaning on someone and they had quickly withdrawn, leaving him to fall. He breathing was harsh, what had just happened?  
  
Did he just dance on the edge of existence? Or had he just made the biggest mistake of his life? 


	6. 1001 Magical Objects and Places

Harry didn't know what to do.  
  
Going to the Department of Mysteries did nothing for him, except over come him with a new curiosity. The black curtain intrigued him. It made him think about the concept of life and death.  
  
If only Hermione were here, she might be able to help him figure out the Black Curtain, only to remember that she had been afraid of it the first time. And if Ron was here, then at least he wouldn't be bored.  
  
Harry sat at a table at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor trying to figure out what to do. He didn't want to go back to the Order of the Phoenix, all he would receive was a lecture and a permanent body guard.  
  
Not knowing what to do he wandered around the ally and happened to wander into Flourish and Blotts. He ran his finger along a line of books. All the books were out of order and strewn about. How the manager ever found anything was beyond him, but then again, this was a wizard bookshop.   
  
Muggle and Magic. So You're a Witch?. Havens of Horrors. Practical Potions for Practical People. 1001 Magical Objects and Places.  
  
He stopped. He picked up 1001 Magical Objects and Places and scanned through it. There were many disfigured animals and large pictures of silver orbs in it; but along with that, Harry also found the Sorcerer's Stone, the Mirror of Erisid, the Chamber of Secrets. It all looked very strange and intrigued Harry. He flipped through it bored, and did a double take. He flipped through back to a picture of a black curtain hung on a stone arch. He started reading:  
  
_The Curtain of Eternity  
  
Commonly known as "The Black Curtain," the Curtain of Eternity was created by Omgeas Tempes in the late 1500s. Using an altered death spell that is now illegal, he cast the spell on a stone arch way and hung over it a black curtain. He used it to lure unsuspecting victims to their deaths; other than that, the reason it was created is unknown. No one has been able to come back alive after entering and is suspected that it is impossible. _  
  
Harry felt a wave of anger surge in him when he found that was all that was written on it. Harry slammed the book shut causing many people to jump and stare in the quiet book shop.   
  
  
Not only was there no information on this "Curtain of Eternity" but no one had ever been able to figure out the exact purpose of it. And if no one before had been able to figure it out, how could a 16 year old boy?  
  
  
But despite his anger, he felt extremely proud of Sirius. No one had ever been able to come back from behind the curtain, but Sirius had. He felt a strange connection with Sirius.  
  
Harry was "The-Boy-Who-Lived," and Sirius was the only being to come out of the Curtain of Eternity. They both had escaped their deaths.  
  
Harry put the book back on the shelve and wandered back out of the shop.  
  
Harry was running out of ideas.  
  
He had to ask an expert, or someone who would know. He couldn't go back to Grimmauld Place, now that he'd run away. He couldn't owl his friends and ask theme for advice, there were ways that the Order might find him. His number one priority was to stay hidden.   
  
Harry was just going to have to wait it out until he returned to Hogwarts. That would be the safest way to ask his friends.  
  
But how to get his stuff? It only took him a minute to figure out how. He returned to his room and scribbled a note on a parchment and took it to the owl post office in Diagon Ally. He selected a speedy owl to deliver his letter and gave it a pat before sending it on it's way.  
  
Harry sighed.   
  
Four more days until he returned to Hogwarts.


	7. The Last Days of Summer

Two days later, Harry returned after another day of prowling along Daigon Ally to find all his belongings as well as Hedwig sitting on his bed. Along with that, there sat none other than the house elf Dobby.  
  
The elf's eyes grew wide as he entered the room.  
"Harry Potter has returned!" He squealed and jumped off the bed and threw himself at him.   
  
"Oof! H-hi Dobby," he choked out, trying to sound happy. He was grateful when he let go.  
  
"Harry Potter! It is such an honor to be trusted by you with such an important secret! Dobby promises never to tell any one, even Master Dumbledore!" Dobby squeaked, his hears flopping over his face as he shook his head vigorously.   
  
"Good Dobby. I promise I'll buy you a bunch of socks for Christmas for this!"  
  
Dobby could hardly control his excitement. He started squealing again and ran around the room, jumping on the bed.   
  
"Dobby must go now, but Harry Potter knows that he can always trust Dobby!" and with that he was gone.  
  
Harry was relieved, it always confused him when he talked in third person.  
  
***  
  
Along with Dobby's visit, came his Hogwarts school list. Harry knew that today would be packed with his school mates. Harry didn't know how he was going to stay hidden for the next two days, but decided that what ever happened would happen and wasn't going to worry about it. He hurried out the back door to Diagon Ally after eating a quick breakfast and was immediately spotted by none other than Colin Creevy.  
  
"Hiya Harry!" he piped and immediately reached for his camera, his brother came up behind him and almost fainted at the sight of him.   
  
"Ha-Harry Potter!" he gasped, and ran right up to him. He stood in front of him in awe and could do nothing but stare. Harry shifted away uncomfortably.  
  
"Got to go," he said quickly, "See you at school!" and he zoomed down the street, making sure to zigzag in case they followed him.   
  
***  
  
Harry was heavily weighed down with his new books for school when he bumped into…  
  
"Hermione!"   
  
"Harry!" she cried, "Where have you been? What have you been doing? Why did you run away?"  
  
"Do you-"  
  
"Yes, I know about Sirius! But Why did you run away! Everyone's been so worried! Have you talked to Dumbledore?" she quickly changed her tone as quickly as she changed subjects, "Have you seen Ron? He paled when he heard you ran away! First you run away from the Dursley's when Dumbledore specifically told you not to, then you run away from him! I don't know what's gotten into you, Harry! You know it's not safe! Where were you this whole time? What have you been doing? I-"  
  
"You asked that question already," he interrupted.   
  
Hermione seemed at a loss for words, then suddenly gave him a hug. "I was so worried!"  
  
Then pulled away a little to ask, "So what have you been doing?"  
  
"I- Ron!"   
  
Hermione looked over her shoulder to see a paled looking Ron staring at Harry in disbelief. Harry and Hermione both walked over to him.  
  
"Are you okay?" Harry asked him.  
  
"Yeah-" his voice was high pitched. "How- I mean, Why? I mean, are- are you okay?" he stuttered.   
  
"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine!" and Ron relaxed.  
  
"Where were you this whole time?"  
  
The strode down the street while Harry told him all that happened, and they had walked up and down at least 6 times before he finished. There were a lot of gasps and more questions and chiding when he came to the part where he stood in front of the curtain.  
  
"And I haven't been able to fine any helpful information on changing him back!"  
  
"Hmm-" Hermione looked up, thinking. "I think we should try to find all the information we can, and then maybe ask Dumbldore."  
  
"Have you tried to talk to Sirius? I mean- well, you know, try to communicate with him at all?"  
  
"No, after I found out I went to the Department of Mysteries, but that didn't help me at all."  
  
The three of them stood there, eyes glazed, thinking. They were violently shaken back to reality by a high pitched wail.  
  
"Harry, Harry, Harry!" Mrs. Weasley came hurrying down the street and wrapped him in a motherly hug, suffocating him.   
  
"I'm okay Mrs. Weasley!" he gasped, but was greatly muffled by her tight embrace.  
  
She asked all the same questions that Hermione had asked and then broke down sobbing. Harry told her everything and she finally composed herself again.   
  
"I'll write to Dumbldore immediately!" she sprang up.  
  
"No!" shouted Harry, shooting up as well. Going to Grimmauld Place now would be worse than if he just stayed and waited till he got back to Hogwarts. "I mean- I'll…I'll tell him, when I get back to school. I'm just not ready to tell him now."   
  
They finally shook off the stricken Mrs. Weasley and gathered the rest of their school supplies.  
  
"Harry, you've been here the whole time? Haven't you,"  
"Yup,"  
"Then why don't we all just spend the last day of break here and then return to school together tomorrow morning?"  
"Okay!"  
  
And finally the sun started to set and they trudged into separate rooms and fell asleep.  
  
***  
  
The train ride there was hardly boring.   
  
Harry again spent the first half of the trip with Ginny, Neville, and Luna, each of them joking and telling stories of their summers. Many of his classmates dropped in to say hello and chocolate frog cards were exchanged. Ron and Hermione showed up they spent the rest of the time talking about the year before.  
  
The feast was marvelous. Everything had gone well except for when Moaning Myrtle showed up in the middle of the feast and started crying because they were all eating. And of course there was peeves in the entrance hall terrorizing the second years and such.  
  
Harry was relieved when he finally crawled into bed.  
  
He was happy for being back at Hogwarts.   
  
And he finally drifted off to sleep, content at finally being home again.


	8. In Dumbledore's Office

Hogwarts was the same as ever. Boring History of Magic, a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, torture in Potions. It was the kind of thing that put him sane again; and then a week later drove him insane.

But all in all, Harry was happy to be back at Hogwarts.

Harry was staring out of the window one day in History of Magic when none other than Dumbledore himself walked into the room. The students in the class suddenly looked alive again.

"Professor Binns? Might I have a word with Mr. Potter?" Professor Binns hardly seemed down notice, he simply nodded and gave a little wave and turned back to the chalk board, droning on. Dumbledore beckoned to Harry and he made his way over reluctantly. He could almost feel the class melt back into their state of boredness again. As soon as he was out of the class room Dumbledore swept away without an explanation, but then again, Dumbledore was the kind of person who didn't give explanations and simply went about his business. 

Harry followed him to the gargoyle statue in front of his office. This statue always reminded him of Goyle; Harry could have sworn it was his twin or something.

"Headless Hats," and Harry thought he saw Dumbledore look back slightly, a twinkle behind his half-moon spectacles. They stepped onto the rotating elevator and into the room. Dumbledore settled himself behind his desk, stopping to pet his phoenix, Fawks, before sitting down and turning his attention to Harry. He looked so old and ancient and yet…ethereal.

"Good Afternoon Harry," he said airily, he looked expectant.

Harry sat down hesitantly, he reached up with his right hand and rubbed the back of his neck, "'afternoon," he mumbled.

"I expect you know why I lead you here?"

"To find out why and ran away and stuff," he spoke to the ground.

"Yes, yes… and also because this is the safest place to-" he was interrupted by a bark.

A gigantic black dog came bounding out of the door behind Dumbledore's desk and tackled Harry to the ground. The room filled with happy barks, along with Harry's laughter. When the noise finally died down, Dumbledore spoke again.

"Harry, I don't expect you to tell me why you ran away, but I'm pretty sure that Sirius deserves an explanation. 

"I'm sorry if I made you worry. I was just… I don't know" Harry ran his hands through his hair.

Dumbledore looked thoughtful, staring up at something fascinating on the ceiling, "I think I'd like some tea… and maybe some cookies. I'll just go down to the kitchen and get them would you like some Harry?"

Harry felt grateful to Dumbledore, he didn't need to walk down to the kitchen to get anything, all he practically needed was to think about it and elves would come running at this feet, almost begging to do his bidding. Dumbledore always knew what to do and when to do it.

"Sure. And maybe some fire whiskey for Sirius?"

The dog barked his approval.

***

Dumbledore left and Harry was alone with Sirius.

"Hey Sirius," he whispered softly to the dog, hugging it(/him). They stayed like that for some moments, the only sound was the dog Sirius' panting. It was oddly calming.

This was his godfather, a raggedy old dog. 

"Sirius, I just wanted to tell you I didn't run away because you were a dog. When I left I went back to the Department of Mysteries." 

The dog let out a growl and a bark. There was a pained look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I did it. After that I went to Diagon Ally and lived there until I came back to Hogwarts. I tried to find out how to turn you back, but I haven't found any useful information yet."

The dog suddenly leapt out of his arms and started pacing, it was making odd whimpering noises. Kind of like the way Sirius paced when he was thinking of something. It barked. 

"I can't understand you Sirius!"

Again there was a pained look, then it seemed to be looking all around the room, searching for something, a cross between growling and whimpering noises coming from his throat. 

"Communicate, I need a way to communicate!" Harry said out loud.

The dog barked in agreement and Harry started rummaging around Dumbledore's things, looking for something or someway Sirius could talk to him.

Barking.

Harry turned around and found Sirius, paws up on a nearby desk, wrestling with something. Harry pulled the book out of the dogs mouth. It was a thick, black book titled _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_. It was a clue. 

Harry sat back down in the chair and flipped through the book. Sirius barked. 

"No? Okay. What am I supposed to do with it?"

Sirius nudged the book, then ran back to the book shelf. He did this a couple more times before barking again.

"Book, more books? Black book, bookshelf? No, that's not right. Um… Dark book, and a bookshelf." Sirius barked.

"Okay, Dark book and a bookshelf… dark book and a book shelf." Harry paced around the room, muttering undistinguishable noises. 

"Dark books on a bookshelf?" Sirius was barking like mad, running in circles around him.

It hit him. 

The Restricted Section in the Library. 

«A/N Please Review!»


	9. The Library

Alive

[The Library]

Harry left Sirius in Dumbledore's office and, consequently, bumped into the man himself on his way out of the gargoyle.   
  
"Professor Dumbledore! I need a pass to get into the restricted section!"  
  
"Yes, yes… Why don't you come back into my office and I'll write Madame Pince a note?"  
  
"Yes, please! It's urgent!"   
  
They stepped back onto the rotating elevator and into the office. Harry waited impatiently, bouncing on the souls of his feet as Dumbledore scribbled a letter. And as Dumbledore finished Harry grabbed it and ran out the door, calling behind a rushed, "Thanks!"  
  
***  
  
Harry had scrounged half the Restricted Section before he finally found anything on the Curtain of Eternity.  
He found stuff like:  
_'It is believed that people go crazy from hearing dead loved one's voices whispering at them.'_ or _"In 1498 it was used to execute the great wizard Ferdinand Kiples"_ but none of it was useful.  
  
  
It was 9:00 and Harry was being ushered out of the library by Madame Pince, but he still hadn't found anything. Harry trudged back to the Gryffindor Common room where he found, not to his surprise, Ron and Hermione arguing. He flopped down onto the puffy armchairs beside them, and sighed. He wondered if there was a way to change Sirius back.  
  
"Ron you will never learn if you copy off me!"  
  
"It's not copying! I just want to get an idea of what the hell I'm supposed to write! I don't even know what this essay's on!"  
  
"It's on the ingredients of a simple sleeping draft and what can happen if used wrongly." she snapped.   
  
"Well why couldn't you have just said that before!"  
  
"You didn't want to know that before! You wanted to look at my essay and copy of me! I swear Ronald Weasley-"  
  
"It's not nice to swear-"  
  
Hermione made an offended noise.  
  
"Give it up you two. You sound like Ron's parents!" and they shut up.  
  
"So Harry, where have you been all day? What happened after Dumbledore took you to his office?" then she asked worriedly, "Are you okay? Are you in trouble for running away?"  
  
"No, no, nothing like that. It's just…" he leaned in closer to them in spoke in a hushed whisper. "Dumbledore brought Sirius here,"  
  
"WHAT!" screeched Hermione, and Ron clapped a hand over her mouth. They received plenty of annoyed glares and Hermione glared at them until they looked away. "What are you talking about! Why would Dumbledore bring Sirius here! Has Dumbledore gone mad?"  
  
"First Year," Ron mumbled.  
  
"What if anyone found out?!"  
  
"Dumbledore's got him up in his office. And I'm pretty sure that's the safest place in Hogwarts, maybe even the world. Remember? Even Umbridge couldn't get into Dumbledore's office in 5th year!"  
  
"But still-" Hermione insisted.  
  
"Can we see him?" Ron asked, he seemed to perk up.  
  
"Yea!"  
  
"Ron!" Hermione chided.  
  
"What!" Ron was annoyed, and turning red.  
  
"So anyways!" interrupted Harry, hoping they wouldn't start another fight. "I didn't get in trouble, Dumbledore didn't even care to hear the explanation as to why I ran away! Then he left and Sirius convinced me to go to the Restricted Section to look for the Curtain of Eternity,"  
  
"Whoa, back up. You aren't in trouble, you talked to Sirius, and you went into the Restricted Section?"  
  
"Yup, he's gone mad," retorted Ron.  
  
"Ron, SHUT UP!" Hermione snapped.  
  
"Well, Dumbledore's always treated me special, and I had a hard time communicating with Sirius, it took me like 15 minutes to try and figure out what he was saying. He just kept running around and nudging things and I had to figure out what he was trying to say. Then Dumbledore gave me a pass for the Restricted Section."  
  
"Oh," Hermione said shortly. "Did you find anything in the library?"  
  
"No, nothing helpful anyways. I don't think there is a way of changing Sirius back. He might stay a dog forever!"  
  
"What about a polyjuice potion?" suggested Ron.  
  
"Won't you ever learn! Polyjuice potions are only for human transformations!" Ron looked like he sunk into the couch.   
  
They were silent for a moment.  
  
"We'll help you look in the library Harry, won't we Ron?" Hermione said, nudging Ron.  
  
"Of course!" Ron said too perkily. When Hermione turned away he sent a death glare to her back.  
  
"Thanks you guys. But, tomorrow, let's get to bed, I'm exhausted."  
  
They all departed.  
  
  
On the stairs up to the dormitory Ron mumbled to Harry, "Two days in, eh, and she's jumping to get into the library. She's barking mad,"  
  
***  
  
They had been sitting at the table in the library since 6:30, it was 8:30.  
  
"Anything? Anything at all?" Harry asked.  
  
"Nothing, except that Omegas Tempes was put into a mental institute before he died"  
  
Harry flopped into a chair, and it pulled across the ground and he received a glare from Madame Pince.   
  
"We have to find something!" Hermione said, angrily turning a page.   
  
"We did, he was insane!" Ron said, throwing up his hands. Hermione gave him daggers for eyes.   
  
"Let's just go… It's hopeless, I give up!" Harry threw up his arms, he wanted to scream.  
  
"Well, maybe it's not here. Hogwarts can't have ever book in the wizarding world,"  
  
Madame Pince sniffed loudly as she passed, and Hermione glared at her back as she walked away.  
  
"I would have never though Hermione Granger would say such a thing," Ron said in a pompous, airy voice. Hermione smacked him.  
  
"Let's get out of here, before Madame _Priss_ gets back." she shrugged on her shoulder walked out with her head held high and her nose in the air. The two boys followed in her wake, sniggering.   



	10. A Marauder Back at Hogwarts and the Weas...

The trio entered Gryffindor tower to find a large group of students huddled around the fire. 

"What's going on?" Harry asked some first year nearby.

"Ginny Weasley's got a dog!"

"WHAT!" Harry dug his way through the throng of people to find Ginny in the center, all were cooing over the dog and stroking it. 

"Aww! Isn't he adorable?"

"-so well mannered,"

"What's his name Ginny?"

"GINNY!" Harry seethed.

"Oh, there you are Harry. I've been looking for you,"

"And doing a pretty good job sitting there mind you," he snapped.

"Oh, Harry," she got up and tugged him through the crowd and pulled him into a corner, beckoning Ron and Hermione over too. 

"GINNY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!" Ron shouted.

"How did you know Sirius was here?" Harry whispered.

"Oh, Ginny!" Hermione added, sighing.

"-CRAZY LITTLE GIRL! HE COULD BE KILLED! W-"

"Dumbledore brought him over. He can't change back Harry, so it's okay!"

"WHAT IF SOMEONE FOUND OUT! GINNY I-"

"No it's not! I think Malfoy knows he's Sirius!"

"And so what if he does? There's no way he can prove it! He can't change back!"

"MUM AND DAD SHOULD DISOWN YOU FOR BEING SO STUP-"

"RON SHUT UP!" and she slapped him.

She turned back her attention to Ginny while Ron sat there, clutching his face, and incredulous look plastered onto his pink face.

"So he can stay?"

"Yeah!"

"Just wander around the school without trouble?"

"Yeah!"

"ARE YOU MAD!" yelled Harry. The common room stared at him.

"Letting one of the Marauders back into Hogwarts, even as a dog!"

Ginny did something Harry thought he'd never see Ginny do.

She grinned evilly.

"You guys, this is our year. The year we whip Slytherin back down with the rest of the humble houses and make Gryffindor shine! Stand out! Be noticed as 'The' House!"

"And with Hogwarts number one prankster on our side, sorry Fred and George," Ron muttered bowing his head in respect for the two fallen pranksters, "but Sirius was first, we could tear this place apart!"

Harry and Hermione stared at the two Weasley's, their bright red hair and pink faces glowed eerily because of the fire. 

"Oi! Snuffles!" Ginny called. This was a side of her Harry had never seen before, he still stared bewildered at her. The dog came bounding out of the crowd. "You ready to reek havoc on this place once more. In memory for the fallen Marauder!" 

The dog howled in agreement.

"THIS PLACE IS GOING DOWN!" shouted Ginny.


	11. OperationPrank: Food Fight

There was a barking. The people eating in the Great Hall looked up to see a dog running by, a leash trailing behind it. Four figures came running after it yelling.

"Snuffles! Snuffles!,"

"Heel! Snuffles, HERE!"

"Snuffles you get back here this instant!"

"SNUUUUUUUFFFLLLESSSS!"

Laughter erupted as the four chased the dog around the Great Hall, while the teachers looked amused, except for Snape, made no move to stop the odd group. Through the walkway between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, beneath Gryffindor's, along the teachers table the chased the dog. McGonagall looked out of place, she was laughing the hardest, her hat sliding off and almost falling off her chair. The whole of Gryffindor house seemed to be laughing the hardest right along with her. Then the dog turned and jumped onto the Slytherin table, running it's length. Food splattered everywhere and on the Slytherin students. The four students climbed onto the table and chased after it, slipping and sliding and skiding, covering the Slytherin's even more in food. Outrage and curses came flying at their backs, and a certain blond headed boy, who was covered in syrup, jumped onto the table and chucked a piece of bread at them, hitting the tall, lanky, red-haired one. He came to a halt and glared at him, then picking a hard boiled egg, throwing it up in the air and catching it several times. The Hall held their breath. Ron wound up and threw it at him. It hit Malfoy squarely in the face.

"FOOD FIGHT!" some one yelled and food was everywhere. The Gryffindor's had put up their long table as a barricade. The Ravenclaws were dancing on their table throwing food everywhere, and the Hufflepuff's were running all over the place. The Slytherin's were being slaughtered by the rest of the houses; they had banned together in an unspoken allegiance against the most hated house.

The battle raged on, unmercifully, and behind the Gryffindor table, howling happily, sat a smug Snuffles.

***

It had finally ended and all the student's were on the floor, breathing heavily, but happy. 

"Student's may I have you're attention please?" A rather heavily fooded Dumbledore stood on the teacher's table, arms raised. "Due to the food fight, classes have been canceled for the rest of the day," A loud cheer rang around the hall.

"-because," the crowd quieted down, they knew they were in trouble, "you have to clean up the Great Hall, by hand, no magic," A great groan shook the hall.'

"It was worth it," someone yelled and laughter followed. Dumbledore's chuckle could be heard through out the room. "Yes, yes, I do say that was a good food fight. And Professor Snape, and Professor Mcgonagal, you will help also."

The two professors were in fighting stances, each holding food high above their head's threatening to fling them at each other, both looking murderous.. Snape was furious.

"Headmaster, I do have some important business to attend to! I-"

"It will have to wait Severus."

Snape looked like he was about to explode.

"IT'S ALL POTTER'S FAULT! AND THAT-THAT- THAT FILTHY DOG," he shook with rage at what he couldn't say because the rest of the school was there. 

The dog started back innocently.

"Now honestly Severus, do you really think that a _dog_ could be behind this. It's not like he plotted it or anything," she gave a defiant laugh. The four student's cracked up, trying to hid their laughter behind their hands

"YOU!" yelled Snape, pointing at the dog, "You'll pay for this," the dog barked, like it didn't know what the odd looking human in front of him was saying. It cocked it's head. It looked so innocent. The silence was interrupted by the four students rolling on the ground with a fresh wave of laughing.

***

It was past lunch and the kids were starving. Half the Great Hall was cleaned by now, but there was also the trouble of getting the food spots that had some how landed on the windows and higher up on the walls. The house elves brought sandwiches around the hall, giving one or two to everyone, looking around like they were just about to drop their trays and start helping clean up furiously. And of couple of them were edging things around with their toes, trying to be unnoticed and trying to clean when they were specifically told not to. Each house was assigned a wall they had to clean, and the older student's were levitating the younger ones high above to clean the mess on the walls.

But four of the student's were not in the Great Hall cleaning up, and neither was the great, shaggy, lovable, innocent looking dog. In Dumbledore's office, the staff that was also involved with the Order of the Phoenix was gathered around the four guilty but happy looking students and the dog. 

"Sirius," Dumbledore tried to gain authority, but every time anyone talked, the four students doubled up with laughter.

"The four of you will be receiving detention." he stated, but was drown out by laughter again. He talked over it, "and Sirius…" the dog cocked it's head at him. "Please try to set a better example for these kids," said Dumbledore kindly, he had that twinkle in his eye.

"What! That's it!"

"Yes, Severus. That's it. You are dismissed." Dumbledore waved a hand at them and the dog and the four sped out of the room.

On the way back, they nicked some food from the kitchen and headed up to the common room, where Gryffindor were to have a party after cleaning that would last the whole night. And the guest of honor, with a crown around his head and a red cape around his shoulders, barking happily, was Snuffles.

_______________________________________________________________________

Please review! 


	12. The Probability

They went back to library, Snuffle at their heels. They couldn't find any helpful on the Black Curtain. 

It been weeks since Snuffles arrived, starting the food fight. Harry had started to give up hope that there wasn't a way back. He grew depressed and quieter around his friends. Snuffles noticed and tried to cheer him up at times, harassing the Slytherins in the hall. Snuffles went around with them to their classes, being a very good dog while the teacher was taking. Sometimes he padded around the room, but always was on very good behavior, which surprised Harry. He guessed he didn't want to risk the chance of not being able to hang out with them.

Potions was exceptionally bad for Gryffindors. Snape made sure that when ever he had the chance, he could trip over the dog, or step one of it's toes, or threaten him with the latest potion they were brewing. He gave detention out for the littlest things. It was one day in Potions when they were taking notes that Harry had an idea. Potions was a vast subject, maybe there was a way to change him back through a potion? Or even a magic spell? Why hadn't he though of that before? After class he pulled away from Ron and Hermione and walked up to Snape's desk, Snuffles at his heels.

"What do you want Potter?" 

"I want to know there's a way I can change Sirius back with a potion."

"No, there isn't" he said shortly, and turned back to his parchment and started writing.

"What about a spell?"

"Look Potter, I'm very busy and there is no way" he said forcefully. Harry didn't believe him. Snape had always hated Sirius, but would he prevent someone from the Order from becoming human again, one who might be able to fight against Voldemort and his deatheaters? Harry walked out the door without a word

He walked to his transfiguration classroom to see Professor Mcgonagal at her desk.

"Professor Mcgonagal, can I ask you a question?"

"What is it Harry?"

"Is there a way I can change Sirius back?"

She looked tired and took off her glasses. "Harry, the likelihood of finding a way to change Sirius back is none. No one has every come out, so how can anyone have possible come up with a solution? And Sirius is an animagus, who knew he would come back as a dog with no way to change back? It's a very complicated situation."

"But the likelihood of there being a way that hasn't been found?"

"The probability is there," she said softly, "but the likelihood for anyone to find a solution to this is… none,"

"I'll prove you wrong!" he said forcefully. "I will!" and he stormed out of the classroom, leaving behind a distressed Mcgonagal.

***

"Albus?" Professor Mcgonagal opened the wooden door to his office.

"Yes, Minerva?" 

"I'm worried about Harry, he seems fixed on the idea that there's a way to change Sirius back," 

"The probability is there," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. Mcgonagal didn't know how he how he did it, but he always knew what was happening around the castle. He probably knew Harry had been scavenging the library for a answers.

"Well, don't you think it's… unhealthy?" she said.

"What do you mean Minerva?"

"Giving him false hope! I'm sure he'd feel heartbroken if he never found a way to change Sirius back!" she said with exasperation.

"No," said Dumbledore, he seemed far off. "I believe that if anyone has the capability of finding a way back, Harry is the one."

***

Harry seemed to grow more depressed when it had been 2 months since school started. Harry hadn't found anything and he spent all of his free time looking. Sometimes he would be staring at the wall thinking, and then suddenly look alive again and look under strange and into unusual places as if the answer was hidden somewhere. But he would always return to that far away look, not paying attention to anything. He grew restless and Ron, Hermione, Sirius, and Ginny noticed he was much quicker to anger than usual. Ginny started avoiding them. Ron and Hermione were always talking behind their hands, throwing Harry looks. Or when he stepped into the room their conversation would cease abruptly. This made him even more angry.

He lay in his bed one night, Sirius sleeping at his feet. He lay there thinking for a long time. 

He suddenly got out of bed and grabbed his invisibility cloak, waking Sirius in the process. Harry grabbed the Marauders Map and slipped down the stairs. He crossed the common room and slipped out the portrait hole. 

Sirius followed him.


	13. The Mirror of Erisid

Harry walked past the wall three times, and suddenly a door appeared. 

He slipped in, but unconsciously left it open. He walked into the center of the room and there it stood, just like he remembered it.

__

Erised stra ehru oyt ube cagru oyt on woshi 

He looked into the mirror, but didn't see anything, instead he saw what was behind him. The door, and a dog peeking through.

"Sirius,"

The dog padded up to him and sat down beside him, leaning against him and whimpered.

"I know Sirius," he murmured down to the dog, reaching out and rubbing his head affectionately. He looked into the mirror, expecting to see himself and the dog Sirius staring back. But he saw the human Sirius, the laughing one in the picture in his album. 

"Sirius," he whispered.

"Hello," he mirror imagine said back.

"You can talk!" Harry looked down at the dog, it stared back at him and nodded toward the mirror.

"Yes Harry, I can. You're using this mirror like the one I gave you before I went into the curtain." Harry nodded.

"What happened Sirius?"

"I'm actually not quiet sure. I remember it being quiet dark and I could feel anything. I tried to moved my arms or touch my face, but I had no arms, and I had no face. I was just… being, I suppose." Harry stared at him in awe. "You've been depressed lately Harry. Why?"

Harry looked down, "I though you of all people would know why…"

"I do, Harry. I know you're sad because I can't change back… but why does that sadden you?"

"Because I want my godfather back! Not the dog form of you!"

"Harry, listen to me. I'm just still happy I'm alive. I was just floating behind the curtain, my conscious was. My body went somewhere else. If we could just get my body back…" he trailed off. "But I don't know where it went."

"Maybe It's still just beyond the curtain…"

"If it is, how do we get it? We can't go through without being stuck in there for eternity!"

The dog paced around, and in the mirror the human Sirius did too. The human Sirius walked out of the frame and back in, out and in, out and in. And each time he went out Harry saw a cloudy mist taking form, but it disappeared when Sirius walked back into the frame.

"Hang on a second Sirius! Step back out of the frame." The dog/human mirror image stepped out of the mirror.

Harry watched intently as the mist started to take a defined form. Harry held his breath.

He pulled back in disgust. The mirror image showed the body of a dead Sirius.

***

Now Harry paced back and forth. Why would the mirror show the dead body of Sirius. Harry noted that it had not decayed. Why… He needed the body of Sirius to change him back? Yes…

Harry looked back at the mirror, the dog Sirius was sitting in front of it, staring into it, looking forlorn. 

"What is it Sirius?"

Of course he couldn't talk to the dog Sirius though, Harry stepped back into the frame.

"James…" the human Sirius whispered, "And Lily, and Remus…" his voice cracked. "They're dressed up like they're getting married. I'm there too," he stared at Harry with an intense gaze, "That was the happiest day of my life." he stopped and looked up, "and then they were just gone… It's all my fault," Sirius didn't cry, but he looked so lost and so hopeless it made Harry want to.

"It's not you're fault Sirius!" he said forcefully, "It's not. You were only trying to do what was best. How could you have known that Pettigrew had gone to the Dark Side?"

"But I did!" cried Sirius, "I had clues!" the dog Sirius howled, "It all pointed to Peter! But I didn't believe it!"

The human Sirius flopped down onto the ground in the mirror. "I could have saved them… I could have…"

"Sirius! You can't blame you're self! You were loyal to you're friends, and you didn't believe it. You were being a good friend! It was Peter who wasn't! Peter who had done wrong! He's the one that deserved to die!"

"I trusted that BASTARD!" Sirius slammed the ground in the mirror. "I could have killed him… I could have…" But Sirius was calming down. 

"It wasn't you fault." Harry whispered, "It was Peter's,"

***

Harry was staring at the dead body of Sirius in the mirror. He tried to figure out where the body was, but it's place was undistinguishable. He stared at it for a long time.

Another person walked into the frame. And another, and another.

Harry stood up with interest. They were deatheaters. 

"Sirius, there are other people in the frame," he whispered. 

He watched carefully as the three gathered around him and pulled of their mask's.

"Father, what are we doing with this lugs body?" It was Draco Malfoy and his father and… 

"Did you teach you're boy to be out of line Lucius?" hissed Voldemort in a snake like voice. 

"No, I did not," he said coolly, glaring at Draco, he looked murderous.

"To answer you're question my boy, we have here Sirius Black's body." Voldemort hissed. Draco surveyed it with interest. "Also know as Harry Potter's godfather,"

"So he wasn't a deatheater?" walked around the body.

"No, he was never a deatheater, Pettigrew framed him," All three of them had a smug look on their face. "I'm sure you can get the details from you're father later, Draco" he smiled a wicked smile, and Draco smirk/smiled back.

"Come one!" Harry pleaded silently out loud to the mirror. "Where are you?"

"What are we going to do with it," asked Lucius in a serious tone. 

"It might come in handy," hissed Voldemort, "From the body I might be able to concoct a potion to make a live replica. And how would Harry Potter feel if he though his poor godfather had turned into a deatheater after we rescued him from the Curtain of Eternity?"

"What if he knows? You can't pull someone back out of it curtain" Draco inquired, curiously.

"He won't, he doesn't know!" he gave a short laugh, "That will make him think I'm much stronger than I am. Even back in my human form, I don't have all my strength back yet. But I will soon…" and Voldemort seemed to stare right at him through the mirror. "I WILL SOON!" he screamed toward Harry. Was it possible he knew he was eavesdropping? Harry ran out of the frame.

The dog barked and went into the frame. Knowing that Voldemort and the Malfoy's wouldn't be in the frame if Sirius was there, he stepped back in.

"What did you see?"

"You're body, in a room. Voldemort and Draco and Lucius Malfoy walked into the room. They were discussing you're body. They're planning to make a replica of you to bring back alive, and frame you again. That will scare the Ministry. And they thought you were dead, but you're not. But I think Voldemort knows now, he looked straight at me from in the mirror and I ran off."

Human Sirius had a thinking look. "Interesting," he murmured, " They don't know I'm alive… Are you sure Harry? Are you sure they're not playing a trick on you again?"

Harry was quiet.

"No, I'm not…"

***

"Where was the body?"

"A large room,"

"Describe it to me,"

" Well, you're body was there, and there was a big fireplace. There was furniture up against the walls, you're body, the Voldemort, the Malfoy's and a big snake. I think I remember it from somewhere." Harry racked him memory for such a place.

"Yes! I remember. It was 4th year… over the summer, I wrote to you about my scar hurting, remember? And the dream that came before that… it was in the same room. And I was this other guy…Frank Bryce… and they killed him, Voldemort killed him."

"Do you remember where this room was?" Sirius held his breath. Harry racked his brain trying to remember…

"Little… something… Little something. I can't remember!" Harry explained exasperated. 

))FLASH BACK((

((parts taken directly from the book, chapter 1, GoF. DON'T SUE ME!))

__

The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it "the Riddle House,"

Once a fine-looking manor, and easily the largest and grandest of building for miles around…

The Little Hangletons agreed that the old house was "creepy."

Fifty years before, at daybreak on a fine summer's morning, when the Riddle House had still been well kept and impressive, a maid had entered the drawing room to find all three Riddles dead…

Frank Bryce was the Riddles' gardener.

By the following morning, hardly anyone in Little Hangleton doubted that Frank Bryce had killed the Riddles.

A team of doctors had examined the bodies and concluded that non of the Riddles had been poisoned, stabbed, shot, strangled, suffocated, or harmed at all. 

…each of the Riddles had the look of terror upon his or her face- but as the frustrated police said, who ever heard of three people being frightened to death?

"It could be done with out Harry Potter, My Lord,"

…Quidditch World Cup…

…flash of green light, a rushing sound, and Frank Bryce crumpled…dead before he hit the floor…

Harry started. 

"Little Hangleton, The Riddle House," 


	14. The Riddle House

It was dark and quiet when they got to the Riddle House.   
  
Harry and Sirius had flown there by broom (don't ask me how they did it! They just did!) They didn't see any lights on in the house and assumed that no one was inside.   
  
"Alohamora," Harry whispered and the door creaked open on it's hinges. Harry winced and waited. He didn't hear anything, so he carefully stepped in. It was pitch black.  
  
"Lumos," he whispered. He looked and around. Then he heard something in the room, "Nox," and the light went out. He stayed still and quiet, trying not to breath. Behind him Sirius paused, ears perked up. Harry heard something slither in front of him, a soft hissing noise.  
  
_Harry Potter…_it hissed.  
  
"Who's there?"  
  
_Fool, I'm a parselmouth…_   
  
"_What are you doing here?_" Harry hissed back at it.  
  
_I'm guarding this house, and you are an intruder!_  
  
Harry heard it slither and saw it whip at him.  
  
"Impendimente!" The snake fell toward him in slow motion and Harry stepped out of the way.  
  
"Incendio!" The snake caught on fire and Harry could see it illuminated in the darkness that it was 12 feet long . Harry shuddered to think of what might have if he had been slower to react. Harry watched it burn, writhing in pain. Horrible hissing noises came from it and Harry translated it.  
  
_Kill! Dark Lord! Intruder! Intruder! KILL! _and then it was gone.  
  
"We have to hurry," Harry whispered to Sirius, adrenalin pumping in his veins, and it was heard in his voice, "he's coming…"  
  
"Lumos!" Harry said in a hushed, worried voice. He looked around, they appeared to be in a kitchen. He could see the trails on the floor in the thick dust where the snake had once slithered, and a set of foot prints and another odd track, too wide to be human or snake. It looked as if something had been dragged across the floor. Harry looked up, the foot steps led up a flight of stairs. He raced up it at the same time listening with all his might for any sound or movement. He followed the foot prints down corridors, up stairs, and stopped at a door way. Sirius started whimpering.  
  
"Sirius?" he whispered, "Sirius what's wrong!"  
  
It could only shiver in one place, but he scooted toward the door and started to nudge in franticly. Harry opened it and the dog disappeared. It became a white, thick smoke and flowed into the room and into the body laying in the middle of the rug on the floor. Sirius' body.  
  
"Sirius!" he ran over and knelt down next to the body. It was ice cold. He shook Sirius, tapping him gently on the face, trying to revive him. "Sirius wake up!"  
  
  
He heard movement down stairs. A door being crashed open. But that wasn't the first thing that told him that Voldemort was near, it was the prickling in his scar.  
  
"Sirius!" he nudged him and when that didn't work he slapped him, hard, "Sirius!"  
  
  
Nothing.   
  
Only a red mark on his face signified that there was still blood running through him, he was still alive. That gave Harry new hope. But at the same time, he could hear the sound of running feet on the floor below him. Voldemort was very close.  
  
Harry felt his scar starting to burn, then sear with pain. Harry though quick.   
  
"Enervate!" he pointed his wand at Sirius.   
  
Sirius' eyes shot open.   
  
"Ow," Sirius clutched his face and looked at him. Sirius heard the steps, close. Only about 20 feet away. He did some quick thinking.  
  
Sirius grabbed Harry's wand and pointed at the rug they were both crouching on, "Portus!" he yelled.  
  
Just before everything around Harry went back, a dark clad figure burst into the room, Pettigrew and Lucius Malfoy behind him. The figure was yelling as it opened the door, pointing it's wand straight at Harry.  
  
Harry's pain reached an increadible height.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!"  
  
All went black


	15. Epilogue

Sirius' eyes shot open.   
  
"Ow," Sirius clutched his face and looked at him. Sirius heard the steps, close. Only about 20 feet away. He did some quick thinking.  
  
Sirius grabbed Harry's wand and pointed at the rug they were both crouching on, "Portus!" he yelled.  
  
Just before everything around Harry went back, a dark clad figure burst into the room, Pettigrew and Lucius Malfoy behind him. The figure was yelling as it opened the door, pointing it's wand straight at Harry.  
  
Harry's pain reached an increadible height.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!"  
  
All went black

****

He woke up in a familiar place. He hadn't opened his eyes, but he knew where he was. The smell was the same. A tangy smell, slightly acidy and of medicine. Slowly, his eyes crept open.

He was surrounded by a white. 

He heard the quiet rustle of something across the room. It stopped. There were other noises, the chinking of something glass against another. A gagging noise and the sound of something being spat. A sharp slap and another gagging noise.

Ah, familiar sounds. 

He moved and stepped out of the warmness, regretting it afterward. He pulled back the white.

The familiar sounds of the Hospital Wing.

"Harry, you're awake! You shouldn't be up! Get back into bed this instant!" Madam Pomfrey chided. He saw Draco sitting in the bed, a dark looking slash on his face. He winced when he saw Harry, but when Madam Pomfrey turned away his eyes narrowed. Harry knew he had seen him just before… what? He couldn't really remember.

"Madam Pomfrey, I need to speak to Dumbledore, it's urgent," he said, pleading in his voice.

"No, no. You still need to drink you're potion."

"But-"

"But nothing! Back into bed, now!" he herded him behind the white curtain and closed it with a swish. Harry stared at it angrily, but finally got back into bed. He heard the rustle of her skirt again, and it was gone. The curtain was pulled back.

"So," Draco started, a nasty smirk of knowing on his face. "What happened to you?"

"I don't remember," Harry said. 

Draco rolled his eyes. "Don't play dumb, I know you saw me,"

"Saw you where?"

Draco scoffed and leaned in and whispered in his ear, hid breath making him shiver, "He'll get his revenge…" and he stepped back, he pulled the hangings around him with a swish, smirk still painted on his pale face.

__

He'll get his revenge? But Harry didn't worry about it now. There were more pressing matters and unanswered questions as hand… Where was Sirius?

"Harry," Harry turned around, Dumbledore was standing in the doorway.

"No! I'm not finished with him!" Madam Pomfrey hurried back into the room and started ushering Harry back again behind the curtain.

"I'm afraid, I'll have to steal him Poppy, it is a matter of urgency…" there was something subtle in his voice.

Madam Pomfrey let go and Harry walked toward Dumbledore and followed him back to his office. Harry knew what Dumbledore was about to show him. Either Sirius or… Harry tried not to think about it. They arrived at the door and Dumbledore patted him on the back. Harry looked up into his eyes for reassurance. 

He nodded. He was pulling back the door. Harry realized that he had been holding his breath

In the middle of the room there was a small bed, Sirius lay in with white sheets. He lay there, eyes closed. Harry couldn't tell if he was breathing.

"Sirius," Harry whispered as he came closer, "Sirius,"

"Harry…"

__

FIN

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~

Who said Harry? Who knows?

(But just to tell you…in my mind, It was Sirius)


End file.
